by Jun delos Reyes on Fri, 10/14/2016

Third District (Negros Occ.) Congressman Alfredo Abelardo Bantug Benitez, a game-changer has brought “change” to people in the Third District and the change for the better continues. His vision for change and transformation is anchored on innovation and thinking to provide integrated solutions to problems that hinder growth and development.

Congressman Alfredo Abelarde Bantug Benitez (4th District of Negros Occ.) delivers his State of the District Report 2013-2016 to the people of the 3rd District of Negros Occidental in the presence of Barangay, Municipal and City Officials of Victorias City, E.B. Magalona, Silay City, Talisay City and Murcia at the Silay City Civic Center yesterday.*(Jun de los Reyes/NDB photo)

Congressman Benitez delivered his State of the District Report in the Civic Center in Silay City yesterday and laid out the highlights and milestone of his second term of office from 2013 to 2016 which focuses on the acronym: I-HELP which means: I=Infrastructure, H=Health & Housing, E=Education, L=Livellihood and P=Policy or Legislation to ensure continuity and greater impact on the grassroots level.

He worked for the passage of the Sugarcane Industry Development Bill into law; concerns for the national housing, backlog and several other vital legislative initiatives went full swing. Accountability and transparency continued to be the touchstones on which all his projects, programs and legislative work are built upon.

On his third and last term, he vows to “be guided with an new mindset for good governance and continue to bring change to transform people and communities to become self-reliant and self-sufficient. There shall be no let up as I continue to pursue my vision for growth and progress in our Third District and even beyond.”

He said that his last three years shall be his “most prolific and best yet, so that you will never regret why you voted and supported me. Madamo gid nga salamat.”

He presented the Broad Road Project, regular infra, tourism destination of the 3rd District of Negros Occidental which are all interconnected. The development of 3 main arteries into 4-lane concrete roads, shoreline road, airport road and mountainous range road are all interconnected to Victorias, E.B. Magalona, Talisay, Murcia which will connect to Silay City Tourism Road. It is about P3.396,284,000.00 worth of Infrastructure delivered from 2014, 2015 and 2016 including construction of bridges, flood control, ports, farm to market and farm to mill roads, covered courts, barangay halls, transport terminals, public markets, public plaza, multi purpose buildings, schools, irrigation in all cities and municipalities; Provide asisstance to solar beneficiaries and other port developmens; Major program on Health & Social Services; Provide NOCHP - “Health Care for All “ to the 52,157 member-families or 260,785 individual members or 30.28% of the total provincewide membership of 172,197 families or 860,985 individual beneficiaries and; Bringing Free Clinic to remote communities; Assistance to DSWD beneficiares and Arming Barangay Health Workers.

On Housing: National Urban Development Summit, District-wide Housing Forum-Workshop; On Education: Educational Asssistance Program, Brainsbee ni Albee sa District 3, Education Summit, Cyber Education through the Betty Bantug Benitez Foundation and Paragon International Customer Care Ltd. and DepEd; Establishment of Alternative Learning Board’s (ALBOARD) Go Visayas-Wide bringing the classroom to the 21st century modern innovations which resulted to 80% passing grade of students in the National Achievement Test.

On Environment, greening the 3rd District includes a total of 113,500 fruit bearing forest trees and bamboo seedlings with the assistance of DENR were planted by volunteers from the government and private sectors in the 3rd District; Metro Third Unified Solid Waste Management.

A unified approach to finding solutions to the problems of solid waste disposal in the Third District of Negros Occidental will soon be a reality. He spearheaded the initiatives to pave the way for convergence and synergy, believing that a districtwide cooperation and partnership can lead to a more feasible and viable program to solve the growing trash problem in Metro Third Area in the province being the gateway to the island and center of trade, commerce and industry.

On Livelihood, Education and Participation, Cong. Benitez emphasized to veer away from giving fish everytime, and instead “teach people how to fish as there is dignity in labor.” Close to 500 individuals mostly women and fisherfolks from various barangays of the five LGUs were tapped in soap-making, candle-making, fabric conditioner and fish processing training modules. Livelihood assistance through DOLE’s Tupad Program and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced Workers that provide employment to a minimum of ten days and not exceeding 30 days in cutting of trees, declogging or clearing of canals, waterways, drainage systems in the barangay, cleaning debris and streets, repair of shoreline dike, barangay halls, footwalk bridges, dredging of creeks and community beautification and many others.

Congressman Benitez have had filed in the 16th Congress 35 Bills and Resolutions of national and local significance and interest for the benefit of the entire people of the 3rd District and the Province of Negros Occidental.

Present were in the activity were Vice-Governor Eugenio Bong Lacson, Mayor Frederick Wantan Palanca of Victorias City, Mayor Mark Golez and Vice-Mayor Joedith Gallego of Silay City, Mayor Andrew Montelibano and Vice -Mayor Gerry Rojas of Murcia, Congressman Greg Gasataya of Bacolod City, Sangguniang Bayan Members, Barangay Officials, among others.*